Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tibas

For one person, living is cheaper in Tibas: $1,724 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Tibas
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Tibas Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Tibas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tibas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Tibas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $1,724 in Tibas, rent included.

Nosara $1,846
Tibas $1,724

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $2,646 in Tibas, rent included.

Nosara $2,833
Tibas $2,646

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $3,567 in Tibas, rent included.

Nosara $3,820
Tibas $3,567

Nosara costs about 7% more than Tibas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Tibas sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Tibas by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,575

$12.21 ₡5,508

1.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$34.56 ₡15.6K

75.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,557

$10.92 ₡4,927

-27.84%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,986

$3.90 ₡1,759

12.82%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₡776

$2.37 ₡1,071

-27.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$1.90 ₡859

-29.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

$2.80 ₡1,263

19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

$4.47 ₡2,019

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$2.39 ₡1,078

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,426

$3.08 ₡1,390

2.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$2.52 ₡1,138

-5.16%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.57 ₡1,613

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,217

$10.67 ₡4,817

-33.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,655

$10.60 ₡4,783

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,302

$14.08 ₡6,354

-0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,031

$4.98 ₡2,245

-54.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.57 ₡709

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,169

$4.69 ₡2,116

2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$3.85 ₡1,739

-56.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,765

$3.74 ₡1,688

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,640

$3.62 ₡1,633

0.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.08 ₡486

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$3.20 ₡1,443

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,267

$6.07 ₡2,738

-17.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

$20.22 ₡9,123

-2.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

$2.89 ₡1,302

0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

$3.72 ₡1,678

-4.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

$1.30 ₡585

-6.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡969

$2.39 ₡1,077

-10.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$1.61 ₡725

1.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,958

$8.63 ₡3,896

1.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.57 ₡710

-1.27%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-2.06%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$41.5K ₡18.7M

-7.26%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$95.9 ₡43.3K

-0.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$35.33 ₡15.9K

2.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$59.0 ₡26.6K

-11.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$68.6 ₡31.0K

-1.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,404

$7.88 ₡3,554

-4.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$496 ₡224.0K

$972 ₡438.6K

-48.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$17.4K ₡7.9M

-32.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$70.8 ₡31.9K

-22.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$56.3 ₡25.4K

-0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$127 ₡57.2K

-38.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$131 ₡59.3K

-39.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.9K

$814 ₡367.4K

0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.6K

$641 ₡289.3K

25.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$1,886 ₡851.1K

111.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡644.9K

$1,240 ₡559.4K

15.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

$983 ₡443.6K

-9.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tibas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Tibas

$641 37.2% 20.4% $165

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Tibas

$402 23.3% 14.5% $51

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Tibas

$217 12.6% 1.8% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Tibas

$190 11% 3.6% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Tibas

$173 10.1% 43.7% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Tibas

$16 * 0.9% 82.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Tibas

$84 4.9% 2.1% $1.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $814 in Tibas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Tibas, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $35 in Tibas. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Nosara vs $402 in Tibas – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Tibas

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

64,842

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs Tibas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,846 in Nosara, $1,724 in Tibas – Tibas comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $2,586 in Tibas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $817 in Nosara and $814 in Tibas. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $35 in Tibas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,724 in Tibas to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.